It is well known that certain derivatives of glycyrrhetinic acid, such as the disodium salt of the hemisuccinate of glycyrrhetinic acid, have an excellent anti-inflammatory action and are useful for the treatment of gastric and duodenal ulcers, as well as for the treatment of reflux oesophagitis.
Non-liquid pharmaceutical compositions are also known which comprise at least one hydrophilic colloid and the disodium salt of the hemisuccinate of glycyrrhetinic acid. These compositions adhere well to moist mucous membranes and have been found to be useful for the treatment of ulcerations of the oral cavity. However, the use of these compositions is restricted to cases in which the degree of ulceration is limited and in which the ulcerations are readily accessible. Furthermore, these compositions cannot be used for the treatment of generalized inflammation of the oral cavity, such as stomatitis, which may involve the buccal and labial mucosa, palate, tongue, floor of the mouth and gingivae.
Unfortunately, there are many common and widely spread inflammatory and ulcerative conditions of the oral cavity, including erosive lichen planus, recurrent ulceration of the aphtus and benign mucous membrane pemphigoid types and primary herpetic stomatitis, for which hitherto there has been no satisfactory treatment. Occasionally, in severe cases of primary herpetic stomatitis in immunologically suppressed patients, use has been made of a mouthwash containing idoxuridine but there is a natural reluctance to use this radiomimetic drug.
Consequently, it is an object of the present invention to provide a pharmaceutical composition which is to be used for making a mouthwash for the treatment of the above-mentioned diseases of the oral cavity and for prophylactic purposes in immunologically suppressed patients.